To ask what should be in a chemo care package?

@rollercoastersarenotfun The cards from your in-laws sound so thoughtful.

My work colleagues have me a lovely care package, but there were several things in there I definitely did not want! Ginger cookies, and lemon and ginger tea. I know the reasoning behind that, ginger is meant to be brilliant for helping with nausea, I just don't like it. Teatree body wash - it brought me out in a really itchy rash! Some highly scented hand cream - I couldn't have anything highly scented around me, it made me feel sick. A mindfulness notebook - with headings for things like 'what has made me feel good today'.

Things I liked, unscented handcream/body lotion. A water spray bottle, like hairdressers use, for when I got hot. Some delicious shortbread fingers. Butter mintoes - just what I fancied to suck when my mouth was dry or had a nasty taste. A really nice lined, but blank, notebook so that I could write down my feelings, or just things I wanted to remember to ask, with an elastic loop for a pen. Nice, respectable, and comfortable pyjamas. Some nice flannels for when I wanted to wash but didn't feel well enough for a bath or a shower. Some good, and unscented, wet wipes for the same reason. Unflavoured toothpaste for when I couldn't face peppermint toothpaste.
I was extremely ill after my chemo and the only food I fancied was chocolate horlicks, made with milk, sour cream and onion pringles, and full fat coca cola. Not the best diet but I couldn't face anything else.

When i had chemo i found that salty snacks really helped. I used to suck twiglets.

I gave a friend a heated throw, which she appreciated as she said she got cold easily.

I always forget my charger so one permanently in his little bag?

don’t waste your money on those cancer care sites look what’s in the boxes and do your own for half the price.

ps a bag of boiled sweets lasts me months so don’t go mad.

I actually get really hot when I'm having chemo. One of my infusions makes me feel very sick when I'm having it, so DH got me a little rechargeable fan - it really helps me. Once I'm cooler I feel less nauseous.

Also...
New waterbottle
Long phone charger
Kindle
Boiled sweets
Moisteriser

I also got new slipper, pj's & dressing gown to keep in my hospital bag as I was advised to always have one packed incase I needed to stay in hospital. (2 years later & on 3rd line chemo & I've only taken the bag once, but didn't use it as it was Christmas Eve & they eventually let me go home with oral meds after 1 infusion.)

There is a lot of sitting and feeling cold during chemo. My friend made me a basket with a blanket and fluffy socks, books, boiled sweets, hand cream, lip balm, lots of cosmetic items that might not be relevant here but it was lovely and really helped see me through. I'm sorry this is happening to your FIL

Pay for a weekly cleaner. Im just off for mine now and honestly? Nothing gets used from the chemo bag. You have to play it by ear. Sometimes you just chat for three hours with your chemo neighbour. A water bottle filled with nice water, a very good sun screen and maybe some graze snacks. They will feed him there. Chemo is different for everyone and im sure his wife will be getting him his moisturiser. Also tell him to start taking a mild laxative, you dont poo for days.

Look after who is caring for him

I talk from experience

When I was having chemo I was given a bag packed with a sleep mask, sucky sweets, ginger and lemon tea bags, a stationery folder for all the paperwork, notebook and pen, moisturiser (I found Aveeno the best), lipsalve, puzzle book, an insulated drinks bottle so i could dill it with either coffee or a cold drink, a Costa voucher for the hospital coffee shop, an amazon voucher so that i could buy books for my kindle and ear buds to plug into my phone. I really appreciated it and it became my 'grab bag' for hospital appointments.

A cosy fleece blanket - chemo makes you so cold, I took mine into hospital each time. My friend got me some thick fleecy socks too. Had those on even in the Summer months!
Ginger biscuits, extra strong mints and polos.
Zero alcohol mouthwash- use it at the first sign of an ulcer. A baby toothbrush - to be very gentle when brushing teeth.

Really nice sturdy slippers to wear in the chemo suite, depending on the type of chemo it can be such a long day and the comfier you can be the better. One of those wraparound pillows also helped.

As someone else mentioned, high quality non metal cutlery. My mum had horrible mouth ulcers and cordosyl mouthwash massively helped with that. Boiled sweets can also help the funny taste in the mouth.

Dry skin can be a side effect so o’keefes working hand cream or a lovely moisturiser.

Some sort of stationary pouch/folder, you used to receive a chemo/treatment book, lots of appointment letters/aftercare docs and you often get given leaflets to resources so can be handy to just keep all in one place.

Best gift my family had was someone taking the washing and returning it washed, home cooked meals delivered to your door ... strongly recommend the lipsalve.... Vaseline as it's the one with less chemicals in ..

I bought my dad an electric handheld fan. Spent about £30 on it. All through his treatments he carried it with him everywhere and sat with it every night at home.

A phone and power bank, with games etc on.

Water bottle ( insulated)

Vaseline and moisturizer, for dry lips and hands. The hand cream also helps with circulation when rubbing it in.

Lipsalve, hand cream, some good books, bed socks, colouring book, pencils to colour with, ....also put easy food to cook in fridge...easy to eat too.

Alpaca bed socks and maybe wrist warmers or fingerless gloves, cold feet and hands are often a side effect of chemo.

www.soul-destiny.co.uk/alpaca-bed-socks.html

Depending on which chemo he is having will depend on how long it takes to administer. Mine took 8 hours so was really boring. I had earphones to listen to audiobooks as I couldnt concentrate on my books, and I was freezing so socks were nice.

Hard to say really, different chemos and different patients...

In this weather, if it's a hair-nuking chemo, maybe hypoallergenic (cancer treatments can sensitise the skin, so be careful with "smelly" gifts) sunscreen and a good sunhat?

A nice water bottle could be good if he doesn't have one, you need to drink a lot on chemo.

When I was on chemo, the only new items I really used were hats, bandanas, sensitive shower gel and baby shampoo.

If he's practical would he prefer something to do? I remember a friend who bought specific Lego models (I think of classic cars or trains) for their grandfather going through chemo. Gave him something interesting and practical to do whilst not being well enough to be up and about too much.

I'm sorry to hear of your father in laws diagnosis. I'm going through chemo at the moment. Everyone's treatment is different, but mine makes my mouth and skin really dry. Boiled sweets are good for your mouth, and lip balm / vaseline. A good hand cream is useful. A water bottle with a straw is a godsend. Ginger things for when the nausea hits (gingins are great to keep in your pocket when you are out and about). But honestly, the thing that has meant the most to me is people helping where they can - my sister coming to clean my house when I couldn't get up, my mum coming to every appointment with me. My friends calling to check I'm ok, or giving lifts to appointments, or just letting me whinge about it all without judgment. I hope his treatment isn't too hard on him x

My dad lost a few teeth (he really wasn't happy about that) and his skin was dry. He loved to read so we got him audiobooks and a pile of ones he'd enjoy. Sooky sweets were popular and nice cordials to drink.

Is a care package something he is going to appreciate? A lot of the ideas for chemo care packages tend to be things women would buy for other women.

I bought various things for my DF when he had cancer and TBH he didn't appreciate any of them. They were more things I was doing just because I felt so bad I wanted to do something, anything.

It's so lovely that you're thinking of all the nice things that would help him. A gift he probably won't appreciate at first, but probably will later, is a high quality fragrance-free (this is important) moisturiser like Aveena or Ceravee. When his skin is chemo dry he will find it very useful.

Really sorry he needs to go through this - sending good wishes to you all.